Fairy's Winter Tale
by Hanahime.Aiko
Summary: Winter brings about different reactions for each person, but for the heiress Lucy who was used to warmth in her mansion, will this harsh winter be too much for her? What if Natsu lends a hand? Can winter be the season that brings changes for Spring to arrive into? Hang in there, Lucy! The sweetness of Spring will be here after! Edits to be made occasionally when author has brain.


A/N: So I'm back with another random story about our favourite Fairy Tail couple. Now part of this chapter was written at another point of time, and while I FINALLY am picking it up for a continuation...I'm a little bit lazy...and lacking in the brains factor at the moment. Expect changes to be made occasionally to the chapter as I edit every once in a while when I have a brain that actually works.

Till then, enjoy some humour!

* * *

The warmth at her side was comforting, and the young blonde could not help but to snuggle closer with a sleepy murmur, curling her fingers around what she believed was her blanket. It didn't rest over her entire body though, for her wiggling toes were left out in the open.

Soft... Warm... Breathing... Firm... Wait what?! Breathing?!

As sudden as the thought which came, the woman jerked herself up and awake, wide honey eyes staring at the object of warmth which...who slept by her side. Resignedly, she let out a sigh of relief, glad that it was no stranger but someone she had come to know well over time, perhaps a little too well. After all, what sort of a man would let himself into a woman's house, and into their bed? Then again, everyone in Fairy Tail seemed to have the tendency to do invasive things like these. She ought to have been used to it.

Rubbing her temples, Lucy glanced at the man in her bed, spotting the familiar companion, that blue cat just a distance away. A small smile graced her lips; for the pink-haired male had always looked so much more peaceful when he was fast asleep, compared to his mostly energetic rampage while his expressive eyes were wide open. Slender fingers wandered, brushing a stray lock of pink away from the tanned face. She followed the contours of his chiselled features with a gentle touch, careful to keep her long nails away from his skin. A thumb caressed his lips and the woman felt her heart thump with an unknown emotion, an odd flush rising to her pale cheeks.

"Natsu wa baka.." Softly muttered, Lucy sank back into her previous position, allowing herself to be embraced by the dragon slayer in his sleepy disposition; head upon his chest like it was the most natural thing to do. In his arms...she had always felt safe.

* * *

He stirred as the scent of vanilla; with the tinge of sweet strawberry; wafted up to his sensitive nose. A head of blonde greeted his eyes as he peeled them open and the man was glad he drawn the curtains last night after he let himself into the apartment, for that spared their eyes from the bright sunlight that was sure to be behind those thick fabric. He applauded himself, mentally giving himself a pat on the back for that.

Natsu began to stretch, but he stopped himself just after he started, realizing that the sleeping beauty whose bed he hijacked, was fast asleep with her arms lightly thrown over his waist as if he were a body pillow, her legs entangled among his own. If he continued, Lucy was sure to be awoken. They could afford to sleep in, he decided, casually curling an arm around her frail frame. He would observe her face and make fun of her later, but with her face buried in his chest, Natsu could hardly see a thing other than soft tendrils of her growing hair. It was longer than he remembered, spilling past the midpoint of her back and tickling the exposed skin between her ridden-up top and shorts.

He reached for the covers, tugging them up to wrap around them like a taco, knowing that the Celestial mage had been complaining about the freezing weather that Magnolia had that winter. Snow had fallen hard and heavy, and there had been several days of hail as well, something that did not quite bother the dragon slayer that much - he simply melted the area around him. Gray had been rejoicing, living in his past and Erza was as impasse as always, always the stoic one. But Lucy, poor Lucy, was far frailer than any of them in the team, her delicate features scrunched up as she trembled and shivered, even spilling the hot chocolate that Mirajane had prepared for her.

Winter clothes did not help her much, and Natsu realized, with a gloating thought, he was the one who was best for this job; this personal job; keeping Lucy warm. He took pride in that, and had carefully walked the woman home ( keeping as close to her side as possible without seeming creepy like certain males from the Blue Pegasus ), helped her in preparing the fireplace to keep her apartment warm ( while stealing a little snack every now and then ), made sure her bath was nice and hot ( though she did scream when she entered the washroom ). All in all, Natsu Dragneel was satisfied that he did a great job.

Last night had been a little different. Gray had sent Lucy home, along with Erza, and Natsu had been left behind in Fairy Tail as he slurped a bowl of spicy ramen, Happy gleefully devouring his fish. When he realized that the gang was gone, he had scampered off towards Lucy's apartment, to make sure that she was doing well. Who knew that the blonde lady had gone to bed that early? She must have been feeling unwell, he deduced, eyeing her skimpy outfit. Perhaps she caught a cold from the winter's chill. No matter! He would fix that easily!

Slipping into bed with her like it was the most natural thing, the pinkette frowned at her frozen feet; despite the thick covers, and shifted the smaller woman into his arms. There, perfect body warmer! Yet he too was lulled to sleep by his full belly and the enticing scent of a certain female in his arms, and drifted off to sleep with her heartbeat as a lullaby.

Now that he thought about it, hasn't Lucy been sleeping a little too much? If she was fast asleep before he arrived and still asleep at this time, she could possibly be very ill! Worried for his partner, he almost unwillingly pried her from her grip on him, noting that slight flush on her cheeks. He frowned darkly, leaning close and resting his forehead to hers, attempting to figure out if she was running a fever. It didn't seem so, but Natsu was not convinced. After all, he ran a higher temperature than most of the people due to his magic.

She groaned, pouting subconsciously at being shifted from her comfortable position. "Five more minutes, Virgo.." Lucy grumbled, waving her hands around without opening her eyes, cleanly forgetting that the maid did not wake her in this manner and most certainly did not have arms wrapped around her. Breakfast can wait. She was not a bottomless pit like Natsu...Natsu...who was sleeping in her bed!

Instantly, the blonde female jerked herself away, ramming her head straight into Natsu's chin, and suffering the brunt of the damage in comparison. The man was built like a tank and Lucy's little headbutt did nothing but inform him that she had awoken. Clueless as usual, the dragon slayer brought his face up close, a concerned expression within his dark eyes. "Are you sick, Lucy? Your face is red."

She flushed darker, knowing that the pinkness of her cheeks was due to no illness but the man's close proximity. The fact that his face was practically touching hers was no help either and Lucy only shoved the man back with a hastily placed scowl. "Of course it's red! You just smacked your chin into me!" She exclaimed, making whatever excuse she could think of at the top of her sleepy head, though she was the culprit of the headbutt. Natsu laughed, the typical mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"I think you're still half-asleep, Lucy. You're the one who knocked yourself against me." But the amusement faded quickly, and he cupped her cheeks with his far larger hands. "But I was talking about your cheeks." And she would have turned into a riper tomato, if not for the fact that the slayer begun to squish her face between his hands in what could not be deemed as a gentle manner, and most certainly not loving either, judging by the changing expression of the increasingly-getting-annoyed mage who was getting her face massaged and distorted in ways which made her look like a fool ( in her opinion, Natsu actually found it rather...cute or amusing at the very least ).

"Natsu! Stop it!" She protested, attempting to pry his hands off her abused cheeks. Even with her nails digging into the man's flesh, it proved to be futile. He only shrugged, dropping his hands to his lap when he was satisfied that the redness were not due to fever or anything of that sort, vaguely remembering Mirajane taking care of various ill guild members in the past.

_"The redness is due to the fever and heat that the body produces. All we have to do is to lower the temperature down and you should feel better!"_

Mirajane had always been the one who was more apt in taking care of others. In a way, Natsu thought that Mirajane represented a motherly figure within Fairy Tail, even if the Take-Over mage was not too much older than they were.

…Maybe. There was that time where Laxus had his rebellious streak and Freed's runes had kept him within the walls of the guild, stating that those above seventy could not leave.

But simple-minded as Natsu was, his thoughts did not linger and he quickly shook his head and reverted his attention back to the pale female who sat by his side. "Well you're red for a reason and you're not hot enough to have a fever."

"Maybe I'm red because you just killed my skin with your manhandling!" Lucy scowled, slapping his hands for good measure and crawling out of her bed, sprinting to the bathroom before he could correct her once more. Flustered as she was, the Celestial mage did not look forward in undertaking the task of explaining anything related to feelings to the dense head of the dragon slayer. She did not think that **anyone** could hammer it into his head and it was frustrating enough to have to deal with her own confused emotions.

Her heart should **not** flutter for the violent team-mate of hers. For Natsu to point out her blushing cheeks,….it was a dreadful thought that crept across her head.

'What if Natsu knows?'

Yet as Lucy stared at her darkened cheeks in the reflection of her mirror, she could not help but to smile, albeit sadly. She cupped her cheeks gingerly with her smaller hands, wondering how it would be if Natsu actually knew; despite clearly stating out in her mind that it was impossible, since the man knew nothing of romance.

"What if I know what?" He piped up from the door, running a hand through his unruly pink.

"…What?"

"You said 'What if Natsu knows?' So I'm asking you what am I supposed to know." He simply replied in a matter-of-fact tone, causing the blonde to react with a shrill scream as she slammed the bathroom door on his face. Lucy had not thought that her self-contemplations had been voiced out verbally, and her only reaction was her typical violent one whenever she got embarrassed.

**To lash out.**

She really had to fix that, but for now, all the maiden could think about was how to fix the mess she created.

* * *

She would eventually decide to pretend that it did not happen at all, avoiding all conversations that could lead up to the morning's events.

So when Lucy waltzed out of the bathroom to Natsu rubbing away at his bruised nose, she could not stop her laughter as the indignant dragon slayer pouted up at her from the ground, the awake Exceed perched upon his shoulder.

"Whatcha laughing at?! You're the one who did it!" Not surprisingly, the pinkette's words came out more distorted with his clutched nose. "You could have flattened it!"

"I don't think you should be worrying about that~" She teased, letting her hand rest upon his head with an almost-affectionate ruffle of his messy hair. "After all, you could take punches from our enemies well enough without a broken nose; I don't see why my little door would hurt you….unless, the all famous Salamander is really a weakling~?"

That got him fired up and he leapt to his feet with a frown, flexing his biceps at the secretly appreciating female. "I'll show you weak!"

Lucy backed away as quickly as she could, though her motions took her in the wrong directions; aka not towards the door – even though Natsu could probably catch her just as easily if she attempted to flee anyway; instead bumping the back of her knees against the side of her bedframe. He advanced menacingly, and despite knowing that Natsu would never willingly hurt her, Lucy could not suppress the squeal that escaped her lips as his fingers dived down on her sides, tickling the blonde mage mercilessly. Her shrieks for help went unnoticed; for it was no longer early morning but a time where one would be taking brunch; and the woman soon ran out of air and breath from her giggling.

"I give! I give!" Throwing in the towel, Lucy raised her hands in the submission stance, begging for the mercy that Natsu would not give.

No one insulted his strength and got away with it! He would challenge Lucy to a fight, but the dragon slayer did not quite feel like a battle with his partner. Maybe if she summoned Loke,…but he did not feel like having the lion spirit interrupting them at the moment. Instead, he settled for tickling the life out of Lucy, laughing at her many expressions as she tried to roll away from him to save her aching sides.

It was only when Lucy nearly rolled into the wooden frame that he stopped, dragging her back from her escape and setting her at the edge of her bed. By then, Lucy was as good as breathless and it took her several moments and deep breaths before she recovered herself with a pout. "Baka Natsu." She grumbled, ghosting her fingers across her sides to make sure that her soreness was not accompanied with bruises.

At least he had been gentle enough. She knew that he could have bruised her easily, what with the strength of a dragon slayer.

"Heh." Was his only response, the smirk creeping upon his face, though his eyes were lit with childish glee at having won the 'fight'.

"…."

"…."

"…..Get out of my room!"

Back to her usual self, the key-owner literally kicked Natsu out of the apartment, tossing the exceed after him without a second thought before she turned her back to them, presumingly to get herself dressed for the guild.

Pulling on her usual attire, Lucy hesitated for a brief moment before she grabbed the thick winter coat, knowing that the warmth of her apartment was thanks to Natsu's heat; something that would not remain outside the sanctuary. Slipping it on, the young lady had trudged out of her house, only to realized that the dragon slayer had lingered outside her apartment to wait for her. A faint smile rose to her lips and she darted forth to him, almost dislocating the sleepy Happy who had sprawled on Natsu's head.

"It's so cold!" She complained, curling up as best as she could as she walked along the nonchalant Natsu. He only grinned and thumped his chest like a Vulcan, rubbing in the fact that he remained warm and toasty, despite being in far lesser than the other.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say a thing~"

"You're thinking it!"

"You're not Warren~"

"Ah forget it. I'm too cold to argue with you." Whimpering, the female paused in her steps as she struggled with her feet, grumbling about how deep the snow was. Slightly ahead, Natsu glances back and considers a little something for an instance before he marched back and lifted Lucy out of the knee-deep snow. "I'll just carry you then!"

She resisted by flailing, limbs uselessly floundering around like a fish out of water before she eventually gave up and allowed Natsu to carry her as he wished. It was warmer that way anyway. His body heat radiated off and she had to admit that it was definitely more efficient this way.

Lucy had not expected how Natsu would carry her though, for the uncouth male seemed like one who would toss her over his shoulder like she was nothing but a sack of potatoes. Yet he carried her almost gently in the bridal hold and Lucy was glad for the hood on her white coat that hid most of her face and the everlasting blush she did not want on her cheeks. Clueless Natsu did not notice, luckily.

"Yo Salamander. Finally made ya move did ya? Gihihihi!"

"What?" The rose-haired man raised a brow, clearly confused. What was this about making a move?

"Bunny girl?" The iron dragon slayer jabbed a finger towards the female in his arms.

"Luce? What's with Lucy?" Gajeel halted, before slapping his hand to his face exasperatedly. Natsu never failed to 'impress' him with his stupidity. So different from Levy who peered out from behind him to offer a Solid Script of "Iron" to the slayer, waving at Lucy who was still held quite securely by the other slayer in the guild.

"Oh the Flame Brain is here!"

"Whatcha say, Ice Prick?!"

"You wanna go?!"

"Natsu! Can you at least let me inside the guild before you start a fight!?" Lucy huffed, finally making herself known to the arguing pair. But it was Erza who spoke first, as she exited the large doors of Fairy Tail with her brows knitted.

"Oh Lucy, good morning. I see you made it to the guild today. I was beginning to think that you had been snowed in as well. Last night's blizzard was terrible."

"…. I didn't know that it was that bad.."

"Slept well then, I hope?"

"Relatively."

"Good then, you better get to work, Natsu."

"What? I haven't even had breakfast!"

"You can have it after you help to shovel."

"That's not fai-….fine. I better be getting some fire-food for this...Hey! Why does Metalbutt get iron?!" The death glare from the S-class mage in their team was not one to be trifled with, and the fire dragon slayer quickly gave up his arguments before things got rough. A glance towards Gajeel though, might have made the slayer a little...jealous?

"Gihihihi!"

"Lucy, make me some fire!"

"What do I look like, a flame-thrower? I can't make fire! If I could, I wouldn't need your warmth in bed!"

"….In bed?" The awkward silence that followed Erza's comment could cut, and Lucy willed for a hole to open up in the ground for her to hide in. Naturally, Natsu had to release her first but he still had a firm hold upon her body, not comprehending the situation at hand.

"Ah…nothing! Nothing!"

"In bed?" The ex-quip mage repeated, and one did not dare to make **the** Erza repeat herself the third time.

"….Yes?" Lucy ducked her head, afraid to meet with the judging eyes that she was sure to be met with.

"Natsu was in bed with you?"

"..Yes…?"

"N-N-NNNNAAATTTSSSUUUUUU!" Swords were brandished with a blink of the eye as the swordswoman turned as red as her hair was scarlet, rampant thoughts racing through her ever so hyperactive mind.

"EEKKKSSS!" The holler of a war cry in his face finally snapped Natsu to his senses and he dropped Lucy to her feet as deftly as he could before he zipped off, boosting himself with his flames with Erza hot at his heels, yelling about how he should get the process right.

"….."

"So, in bed, huh?"

"Shut up, Gray!" Crimson Lucy was no better as she shuffled through the doors, hoping that no one else had overheard this strange conversation. She could already hear the endless questions coming her way, and the light footsteps behind her supported her beliefs. Levy wanted the scoop.

* * *

A/N: Poor Natsu, being chased around despite not knowing what was going on. XD


End file.
